need new tires

You ought to do that all the time, IMHO. I think a glass shard will eat through even a kevlar belt if you don't pick it out.

That said, my panaracer paselas are not that bad in that regard (but are somewhat prone to sidewall damage), and my conti ultra sports didn't pick up any glass at all in 25 miles of glassy road riding. Maybe that means the compound is harder & has less traction though, i don't know.

alex7553 said:

hay, i need help picking new tires. 700 x 23. i have hutchinson equinox and don't like them. glass gets stuck in it as if it's a magnet. i have to deflate the tire and pick out the class after each ride. this is crazy. help.

Conti Ultra Race or Sport, Vittoria Rubino..wire. No need for foldable unless you want to carry a spare.

Peter@vecchios said:

Conti Ultra Race or Sport, Vittoria Rubino..wire. No need for foldable unless you want to carry a spare.

It may be only my experiences, but foldable tires also tend to be more difficult to install on a rim than wire beaded tires.

I've had decent luck with the following (though I must add that I don't come across glass too often) wasn't too sure of the Mondo's as they're more of a race tire than I'm used to but I've got 400km on them and so far no issues😉

Specialized S-Works Mondo open tubular
Specialized AllCondition Armadillo Elite
Vredestein Volante TriComp (no longer made / try the Fortezza)

I am quickly becoming a HUGE tufo fan. These things never flat. I have C-Elite Rode on my "real" bike and C-elite Ride on my commuter bike. Easy to install, no need to cary tubes/levers, etc. Just a spare tufo in my tire sock, that never sees the light of day and a Co2 inflator. Cannot say enough good things about the ride, feel or bullet-proof-ness

EDIT: I found this place had the best price/selection/customer service worldclasscycles.comworldclasscycles.comOpen ↗

You need to tell us a bit more about your style of riding and what you are looking for in a tire.

This morning I switched from a pair of Specialized Roubaix 700x25 (very comfy, lots of rolling resistance) to a brand spanking new pair of Vittoria CX 23mm.

Sure they will last less, but I feel like I just changed my ride and got a Ferrari. 😄

Also a big fan of the Pasela. Allow me to widen the debate/topic. I am also looking for tires. I saw that Bicycling magazine did an article on how great it is to ride on dirt with a mountain bike - then suggested a bunch of cyclocross gear, including 700 x 32 tires! Nice, real nice.

So, what is the best road tire (that will FIT a road frame) for use on dirt/crushed gravel?

Powerful Pete said:

You need to tell us a bit more about your style of riding and what you are looking for in a tire.

This morning I switched from a pair of Specialized Roubaix 700x25 (very comfy, lots of rolling resistance) to a brand spanking new pair of Vittoria CX 23mm.

Sure they will last less, but I feel like I just changed my ride and got a Ferrari. 😄

Pete, good to hear the CX's are delivering molto veloce. I've got a set of CX waiting to replace my trusty GP4000's next week. Have 4K miles on the rear GPs now and the wear indicator holes on the rear tire are just about gone.

Looking at the tread depth on the CX, it's apparent they aren't designed for high mileage. Also, I'm a bit concerned about the warning on the box which says "avoid gravel and road hazards.....these tires are designed for speed."

dhk2 said:

Pete, good to hear the CX's are delivering molto veloce. I've got a set of CX waiting to replace my trusty GP4000's next week. Have 4K miles on the rear GPs now and the wear indicator holes on the rear tire are just about gone.

Looking at the tread depth on the CX, it's apparent they aren't designed for high mileage. Also, I'm a bit concerned about the warning on the box which says "avoid gravel and road hazards.....these tires are designed for speed."

I hope you're not talking about the herringbone "tread" on the tires, 'cuz that's purely decorative. A person ought to be able to get 2000 miles out of the rear. As with the majority of Vittoria tires, don't expect any real puncture protection.

Right, understand about "tread"....was talking about the lack of depth of the rubber strip stuck onto the casing. 2K miles sounds fine, but not the lack of puncture protection.

I'm normally biased towards durability, but saw a bargain price on the CX's and wanted to try a modest excursion into the world of high-performance. Just hoping I can feel the 5 watts savings vs GP 4000s that the test report showed... 🙂

dhk2 said:

Right, understand about "tread"....was talking about the lack of depth of the rubber strip stuck onto the casing. 2K miles sounds fine, but not the lack of puncture protection.

I'm normally biased towards durability, but saw a bargain price on the CX's and wanted to try a modest excursion into the world of high-performance. Just hoping I can feel the 5 watts savings vs GP 4000s that the test report showed... 🙂

I liked riding Vittoria tubies, but they liked developing holes in the tubes a bit too much. Now I ride Conti Sprinter Gatorskins (the only Conti tire I can stand) on the tubie wheels. Oh, and what about that vaunted tubie feel? Farting on my saddle causes a bigger difference in feel than the switch from EVO CX's to Sprinter Gatorskins. The Sprinters have proven themselves to be damned tough.

That 5 watts ought to make you feel like you're powered by a Rocketdyne F-1 engine:

[img]content.answers.com300px F 1 engine firing.jpgOpen ↗[/img]

Don't be surprised if your average speed picks up 7-8 mph. Really. Honest.

dhk2 said:

Pete, good to hear the CX's are delivering molto veloce. I've got a set of CX waiting to replace my trusty GP4000's next week. Have 4K miles on the rear GPs now and the wear indicator holes on the rear tire are just about gone.

Looking at the tread depth on the CX, it's apparent they aren't designed for high mileage. Also, I'm a bit concerned about the warning on the box which says "avoid gravel and road hazards.....these tires are designed for speed."

I cannot comment on durability/toughness... to few rides on them yet. Also keep in mind I was coming from fatty 700x25s, so I was bound to 'feel' a big difference.

I suspect that they will not hold up for superlative numbers of kms, but what the heck, the look good, ride even better.

Ergo, happy PP. 😄

Powerful Pete said:

I cannot comment on durability/toughness... to few rides on them yet. Also keep in mind I was coming from fatty 700x25s, so I was bound to 'feel' a big difference.

I suspect that they will not hold up for superlative numbers of kms, but what the heck, the look good, ride even better.

Ergo, happy PP. 😄

We may be splitting hairs here, but I recall mikesbytes claiming a 28 rolled easier than a 23, but the 23s were supposed to have less air resistance.

garage sale GT said:

We may be splitting hairs here, but I recall mikesbytes claiming a 28 rolled easier than a 23, but the 23s were supposed to have less air resistance.

Don't know. Maybe it is all in my head. But I definitely feel that things are quicker on the Vittorias than they were on the Roubaix.

bccurran said:

Also a big fan of the Pasela. Allow me to widen the debate/topic. I am also looking for tires. I saw that Bicycling magazine did an article on how great it is to ride on dirt with a mountain bike - then suggested a bunch of cyclocross gear, including 700 x 32 tires! Nice, real nice.

So, what is the best road tire (that will FIT a road frame) for use on dirt/crushed gravel?

Conti Contact, formerly the Top Touring. The 28 ought to fit, maybe the 32(also available in 37), IMHO, of course. I'm a fan of Conti tires for their consistency, durability(I use Sprinters) and price. Plus we have a great outside rep(Del Lee).

Powerful Pete said:

Don't know. Maybe it is all in my head. But I definitely feel that things are quicker on the Vittorias than they were on the Roubaix.

Well, remember what Confucius said: If it feels good, do it. 😄

alienator said:

Well, remember what Confucius said: If it feels good, do it. 😄

Yup, that's my motto. 😎

garage sale GT said:

You ought to do that all the time, IMHO. I think a glass shard will eat through even a kevlar belt if you don't pick it out.

That said, my panaracer paselas are not that bad in that regard (but are somewhat prone to sidewall damage), and my conti ultra sports didn't pick up any glass at all in 25 miles of glassy road riding. Maybe that means the compound is harder & has less traction though, i don't know.

I rode those ultrasports for about a hundred more miles. The rear acquired a severe crooked bulge which went to the right, then the left. Taking it off, I found about a 1-inch long area inside, under the middle of the tread, where the cords from the middle layer were protruding between the cords from the layer on the surface of the inside.

I have not done anything too extreme with these tires and the wheel was not damaged. I don't recall hitting a massive bump. Maybe the seam where the cords come together gave way. The tread shows a skid mark but I think a tire ought to be able to withstand being skidded.

On another occasion, it did flat, too, but I had leaned the bike too far at low speed and enabled a rather dull shard of glass to sneak around the outside of the flat protection belt. The damage was in another place and did not contribute to the cord failure.

I weigh 220 and was not carrying a load. There's some gravel and small bumps due to rough pavement where I ride.

BTW on an unrelated note I find I can pick glass shards out with a toothpick without deflating.

Powerful Pete said:

Yup, that's my motto. 😎

Put the Vittoria CX on here last week, and they do feel good. At 8 bar (min listed sidewall pressure), the ride feels nicer than the GP 4000s. When first mounted them, also noticed handling feel was more responsive as well. That part surprised me:wasn't expecting any change to the steering feel of the bike.

Sad to report that speed-wise, just haven't felt it yet. Did a couple of "coast-down" trials with my buddy who is on Mich Lithium, and couldn't really see a any difference at all. Forse la velocità del Ferrari è soltanto in Italia?? 🙂